Routines for a 4 month old

[meshan]

My son 4 month old has no routine at all, he sleeps whenever, feeds whenever and it is making it hard to get organised.

I am also unsure if he is getting enough sleep.

Can anyone help with some suggestions for a routine he should be following and how to get him into it?

[JanetF]

Hi :D I've never employed routines of any kind for my son who's now 22 months old. I found it easier actually since we didn't have to be at home at any particular time for a sleep. He was (still is) breastfed so I just popped him on whenever and where ever we were. He was carried in a sling a lot when I went out so he just dropped off when he needed to and then woke up when he'd finished sleeping. I saw him as really flexible and not tying me to anything at all because he did everything at any time of the day. Sometimes we just need a different way of seeing things to realise there are up sides to all situations. Your bub is a lucky one to have a mama who organises around their needs. This time in their lives is so short and before you know it things will be totally different. I just try to enjoy each stage for the wonderful things they offer.

[Kerry35]

Hi Meshan,

I have a DD4 months old and we have just come back from a week's stay at the Trisillian Centre.

Like you, ,my DD had no routine and was all over the place. What I have learnt from the Trisillian Centre is that most bubs like routine. By 4 months, most bubs if not in some sort of routine will need to be gently guided by you into a routine that suits both you and your family needs.

As I already have a DS4, it was important for me to get my DD into a routine of sort so I knew how I was going to plan my day.

Here is my routine for DD4 months old, bear in mind, that this suits me and my family and not everyone will agree with this. Please just use this as a guide only.

EARLY MORNING

7am Feed/play
8.30am Bed/sleep (Needs at least 2 to 3 hours sleep) My DD sleeps min 2 hours.

MID MORNING

11am Feed/Play
12.30pm Bed/sleep

MIDDAY

3am Feed/Play/bath
4.30pm Bed/sleep

EVENING

7pm Feed/Quiet play
8pm Bed/Sleep

EVENING

11pm Feed and straight back to sleep.

Usually sleeps the night through.

I was advised by the Trisillian Centre that bubs at DD's age require 5 feeds within a 24 hour period. Even if it means having to wake her for her feed if she is due for her feed. This means a feed every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Because of this routine that I've adopted, bubs now sleeps thru the night (as she is getting her milk requirements during the day).

Also I was advised that bubs needs to be in bed for a min of 2 hours regardless if they sleep or not. The first two weeks of changing my bubs routine was hard as my bubs was only used to "cat naps" of 40 mins. She has since learnt to self settle herself back to sleep and is now a much happier baby when she is awake.

I understand that the previous post mentioned a sling. I tried that when my DD was younger. But when she got heavier it was harder going and because it was all she knew when I tried to put her down in her cot she just was having none of it and preferred to sleep on me....needless to say I got nothing done.

After the first couple of weeks of change (DD didnt like it one bit!), but she has nowsettled down and now I can organise myself around friend's/family visits etc so that it is when she is awake so I have maximum "happy up time!".

Please dont take the times above as rigid. Sometimes My DD wanted her first feed at 6am, so I just change the rountine slightly to fit in with her.

You need to do whatever suits you. Some people are happy having no routine, but I couldnt live my life like that, especially when I have other children to look after as well.

Good luck! :)

Kerry

DS4 :cool:
DD4months :p

[Rainbowbrite]

I b/feed MJ who is 4months every 3 hours during the day so she gets 6 feeds, then she sleeps through 95% of the time.

Our routine approx is

6am feed then back to bed, no play

9am feed, play then sleep when she's tired, sometimes not at all.

12 midday, feed & play till tired then sleep

3pm feed, play till tired then sleep

6pm feed, play till tired then sleep

9pm bath, feed, bed.

I don't make her sleep if she doesn't want to otherwise she just ends up upset. Also I bath MJ at her last feed most of the time. If she's real tired in the afternoon I bath her before her 6pm feed. Sometimes, if i do that, she doesn't wake for 9pm feed so unless i want to be woken at 2am, I sleep feed her (just pick her up and put her to breast). Even in her soundest sleep she'll still feed.

Hope that helps. We have no real routine though, ultimately MJ dictates & that works for us :D

RB

[bb]

My son is 21 weeks (so is that 5 months ??) and has a pretty good routine ... I think. It is not strict, in any way, and changes a little from day to day, but it works for him ... and me !

He wakes each day between 6:00am and 7:00am. At this time, he has a bottle, and plays (quietly) until about 8:00am (and that is regardless of the time he wakes up ... ie, he is awake for between 1 and 2 hours). At 8:00am, he goes back to bed (I just wait until he yawns, grizzles, or rubs his eyes, and then whip him off to bed ! It happens like clock-work now within 5 minutes either side of 8:00am).

He sleeps then from 8:00am until between 9:30am and 10:00am, when he has a little play, and we have magnificent quality time ... chatting, singing, reading, etc. He then has a bottle, somewhere between 10:30am and 11:00am. At the moment, I am trying to push this bottle back later and later, as I imagine (and I could be TOTALLY wrong) that this bottle will become "lunch". He also has some rice cereal at this time (and what an experience that is !!).

From then, he is generally awake until about midday, after which he sleeps for about an hour.

That brings us to 1:00pm (and I am already thinking that his routine is pretty all over the place ... and that maybe I should not have contributed to this thread at all :o ).

At 1:00pm, he wakes, and we play, chat, etc until about 2:00pm - 3:00pm, when he has another bottle, and then plays again !

(What a day, huh ?? :rolleyes: )

At about 4:00pm, he goes back to bed, and sleeps until about 5:00pm (he has to ... that is when Bold and Beautiful finishes). I then get him ready for bed (ie, bath/shower and pyjamas) and he plays quietly or watches tv until 6:00pm, when he has his dinner bottle.

After that, we wait until he gets grizzly (and that is anywhere between immediately and 7:30pm) and he goes to bed ! We give him a roll-over feed between 10:00pm and midnight (depending on when we are going to bed) and that is it ... until the whole thing starts again the next day !

Not sure if that is actually a routine at all ... but it basically works for us !

Best of luck with this one !

BB

[Imogensmum]

My little girl is 10 weeks-
our 'routine' goes something like this- depends on the day, er mood, my mood, shade of blue in the sky ;)
6-630am- wake and feed- up and play
8ish- sleep
9ish- wake/ feed/ dress/ play
11ish- sleep
1.30ish- wake/feed/play
she then only catnaps between 130ish and 5ish- 20mins here and there
430ish- feed/ sleep
between 730pm/8pm-wake/feed/ bath/quiet play-cuddles
9:30ish- bed- sleeps through until 3-4am feed and straight back to sleep til 6-630ish....

and so begins the cycle again!!!
Hope that helps-
but as i said that might work for 5 days then we might have 2-3days totally different! I think she just likes to keep me on my toes! :)

[ZeinabJ]

Hi,
My daughter is now 4 months old. she was not on any sort of routine until now. She would never sleep on her own; always needed my breast. So my miracle came along, something i never thought i would follow. I bought the book 'Save Our Sleep' by Tizzie Hall, and everything has changed, it only took 2 days for this to happen, she wakes up at 7am and sleeps at 7pm... In the book it has routines for all ages, and has different method to develop a happy baby.

So i strongly advice that u get the book and read it because it has really important tips in it